One Man Explains Why He Stopped Contributing To His 401(k)

Just about every financial expert tells you not only to contribute to a company 401(k), but make sure you pay in enough to receive the company match. We can’t argue any differently, but tough times and changing priorities can make compelling arguments for dropping contributions.

Frugal Dad makes his case for doing just that. His beef against the 401(k) is its rigidity. By contributing to a Roth IRA and presumably other investments instead, he can tweak his contribution amount to match his ability to part with the money — rather than sticking with a pre-assigned amount deducted from his paycheck — while retaining the ability to withdraw funds without getting hit with a penalty.

To the writer, the freedom of not contributing to a 401(k) surpasses the benefits of participating. He doesn’t necessarily recommend the tactic to others and suggests they do their homework and talk to professionals before making a decision.